Store-service credit-system apparatus.



G. P. KETTERING. STORE SERVICE CREDIT SYSTEM APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1906, 939,267, Patented N0v.9, 1909.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

O. F. KETTERING.

STORE SERVICE CREDIT SYSTEM APPARATUS.

APPLIUATlON FILED 0CT.29,1906. 939,267, Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O. P. KETTERING.

STORE SERVICE CREDIT SYSTEM APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00129, 1906. 939,267.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

454A w g-wuemifoz *1 x 1" a e mas G. F. KETTERING.

STORE SERVICE CREDIT SYSTEM APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT.29, 1906.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Witmeoqeo UNITED STATES PATENT ornion CHARLES E. KETTERING, 0F DAYTON,OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL CASE REGISTERCOMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO (INCORPORATED STORE-SER V ICE CREDIT-SYSTEMAPPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2 1969.

Application filed October 29, 1906. Serial No. 341,085.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. KETTER- ING, av citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-ServiceCredit-System Apparatus, of which I declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description. 7

This invention relates to store service systems and has for its mainobject to provide an improved system for taking care of credittransactions.

V Many commercial houseshave the problemof keeping satisfactory track ofcredit transactions especially in cases where immediate delivery isdesired with only a limited opportunity for investigation of theresponsibility of the customer. It is evidently unwise to trust thejudgment of the salesperson as to whether credit should be extended ornot in any given case. It is of course possible to require each clerk tocommunicate by messenger with a person termed a credit man who isqualified to pass on the question but this method is very slow, so slowin fact that it is very objectionable to the customer. Even with the useof the telephone for communication the system is unsatisfactory in thatthere is no way of certainly telling whether the credit man reallyauthorized any particular transaction or not. This invention aims toprovide a system which will obviate this and otherdifliculties.

The invention also aims to adapt a system for the purposes described,for use in connection with well known types of registering apparatus nowon the market and there has been devised a mechanism which may beadapted for use with almost any type of register now known in the artand which serves when the register is adjusted for the entry of a credittransaction therein to render the same inoperative or ineifective untilcommunication with the credit man has been had as for example over atelephone. The machine can only be rendered operative by the credit manand so the proprietor of the establishment may be sure that no credittransaction without the assent of the credit man has been had.

A further object is to provide an identifying device usablein connectionwith a registering apparatus which will compel the credit man .to set adevice which in the registhe invention consists in certain novelismwhich controls what-may be termed a reminding device at the creditmans position.

Vith these and incidental objects View,

features of construction and combination of parts, the essentialelements of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred formof embodiment of which is hereinafter specifically described withreference to the drawings which accompany and form part of thisspecification.

Of said drawings: Figure l is a perspective of the machine to which theinvention is shown as applied. Fig. 2 is a section through the creditcontrolling devices of the machine. Fig. 2* is a detail of ti e creditmans identification device. Fig. 3 is a front elevation with partsbroken away. Fig. 4 is a diagram of the electrical circuits.

In prior applications Nos. 236,893 filed Dec. 1 1-, 1904 and 301,707filed Feb. 17, 1906 there has been shown a credit controlling systemwhich accomplishes many of the purposes before referred to. In thepresent invention the system shown in said applications is used withregistering apparatus, and is shown as applied to a register of the typedescribed and claimed in applications of Thomas Carroll No. 75,713 filedSept. 20,

1901 and 160,416 filed June 6, 1903. It will be evident however that theinvention is not limited to this particular type of machine but may beapplied to many other registers. In the present system a cash registerof the type referred to is employed, this cash register using a seriesof levers for amounts and other characteristics of transactions to beentered which levers when adjusted serve to set printing mechanism andalso adjust racks for controlling the extent of movement of registeringwheels. The present system however has nothing to do with theregistration and no further mention thereof will be made. Mechanism isprovided in the machine such that when the transaction lever is adjustedto a credit position the machine is thereby locked. A telephone isprovided with a circuit running to the position ofthe credit man, saidcircuit controlling as is usual in telephone practice a line and a pilotrelay. When the clerk raises the telephone receiver from the hook therelay serves to cause an illumination of lineand pilot lamps therebycalling the attention of the credit man. A switch at the credit stationserves to control a signal herein shown as a bell at the clerks positionso that when the credit man is ready to attend to the particular clerkhe may sound the bell and communication is then had over the telephonethe clerk announcing the customers name and the amount of creditdesired. If the credit man is willingto authorize the credit a secondswitch serves to control-an unlocking or releasing circuit for themachine which can then be operated in the usual manner by the clerk. Thesystem as thus far described is complete but means are provided forindieating at the credit station whether the regl'ster has been set to acredit position such 'means being shown herein as a lamp controlled by arelay operating on a change of resistance. The credit lever of theregister serves to control a shunt aroundthe releasing device, saidshunt being of very low resistance. When the shunt is closed enoughcurrent will pass to operate the relay but if the transaction lever hasbeen moved to the credit position the shunt is thereby broken eachtransaction authorized there are printing devices in the register andmeans such as keys at the credit station controlling circuit for theprinting devices and also controlling in part the releasing circuit. Itfollows from this that unless one ofthe credit keys is adjusted theregister cannot be released even if the switch therefor is closed.

As before stated this invention is shown as applied to a register now onthe market. This register is shown in general in Fig. 1 and comprisesamount levers 10 and a special lever 11. These levers are all mountedloosely on a shaft 12 shown in Fig. 2 and carry segments 13 meshing with'pinions 14 which serve to move the indicators 15. The

segments 13 are also adapted to move the printing wheels 16, shown inFig. 3 through a series of nested sleeves. It will be seen from thisdescription that when any of the $5 handle 17 which through pinion 18and gear To compel the creditv 19 operates a gear 20 fast on the mainshaft 21 this shaft being given a complete rota tion at each operationof the machine. The rotation of the shaftserves to raise a platenagainst the type carriers and to then lower the same. No furtherdescription of the register now on the market is deemed necessary. Itwill be evident from the further description that the invention may beapplied to many other types of register besides this one.

The transaction lever and connections are shown in Fig. 2. This lever 11has mounted rigidly therewith besides the usual segment 13 a disk 21having a cut away portion 22. A lever 23 is journaled on thepin 24 andhas its forward end 25 resting on the disk 21. A locking arm 26 is alsojournaled loosely on the pin '24 and has thereon aIpin 27 directly abovethe arm 23. A second pin 28 on said lockin arm 26 is normally over anend 29 of the late ling arm 30 which is pivoted on a pin 31 and carriesan armature 32 of an electromagnet 33, this magnet being mounted on themain frame of the machine. The rear end 34 of the arm 23 is normallyover the latching arm 30 to prevent its being raised. A spring 35connects the latching arm 30 with the locking arm 26. The creditposition of lever 11 is such that notch 22 in the disk 21 is directlyunder end 25 of arm 23. When the lever ismoved to this position the arm23 will evidently drop in the notch thereby raising the rear end 34 ofthe said arm and releasing the locking arm 26 as the said arm is carriedaway from pin 27. Under the influence of spring 35 the locking arm 26moves so that the V shaped projection 37 on the arm enters a notch 38 ofa disk 39 rigidly carried by the operating shaft 21 and locks the same,this locking being done by the latching arm 30 which also moves underthe influence of spring 3.) to carry a notch 40 in said arm around thepin 28 on the arm 26. The rotation shaft 21 is thereby positively lockedand no means are provided whereby the clerk may release the same. Whenthe register has been rendered inoperative as above described the clerkcommunicates with the credit man and this is accomplished by a telephoneconnec tion.

Referring to the dia am in Fig. 4 the elements at the. right 'of saidfigure are all at the clerks station while the elements at the left ofsaid figure are at the credit mans position. A telephone set of usualconstruction is provided at each clerkss station receiver 52, contactsand 54, transmitter 51, wire 62, and negative main line back to thegenerator. When this circuit is established relays 58 and 60 areenergized and attract their armatures 63 and 64. Armature 63 controls alocal circuit 65 including a line lamp 6,6, and this lamp is therebylighted. Armature 64 of relay 60 serves to close contacts 67 and 68 andalocal circuit is thereby established as follows; generator 56, positivemain line, wire 57, coil 58, wire 59, coil 60, contacts E and F, wire69, contacts 67 and 68, wire 70, lamp 71, wire 72, negative main lineback to the generator 56, this evidently serving to illuminate lamp 71this being termed a pilot lamp in telephone practice. It will be seen bytracing the above circuits that the lamps 66 and 71 remain illuminatedeven if the receiver 52 is returned to its hook 53. This follows fromthe fact that relay 60 through its armature 6 1 serves to close the lastmentioned circuit which includes the said relay coil. This relay istherefore a locking relay and maintains its own circuit closed until thelocal circuit is broken by other means than the replacement of receiver52 on its hook. The closing of contacts 67 and 68 serves also tomaintain the circuit through relay coil 58 so that lamps 66 and 71 bothremain lighted. The circuit described which difiers from that usuallyemployed in telephone practice is an important feature of the inventionon account of the time thereby saved to the clerk. It was stated thatthe receiver 52 may be replaced on its hook 53 but it will be clear thatit need not be removed from the hook at all it being suflicient to callthe credit man that the receiver hook is raised and then lowered merelyenough to momentarily close the contacts 54 and 55. The credit mansattention being called by the illumination of lamps 66 and 71 he willthen signify to the clerk that he is ready to consider the particularcase. This is accomplished by moving the switch 76 to close contacts Iand L. The switch 76 is here shown as a key having the function of alistening key and a ringing key as well. Its movement as indicated byarrow X is its ringing movement. When this movement is given contacts Iand L are closed as above stated. and a circuit is then formed asfollows: generator 56 positive main line, wire 81, relay coil 82, sprincontacts 83 and 8 1, wire 85, Wire 86, wire 87, contacts I and L, wire88, bell 89, Wire 62, and negative main line back to the generator 56.This serves to cause bell 89 to sound as long as key 76 is held inringing position. It is now necessary to form a talking circuit and thisis provided for by a motion in the opposite direction indicated by thearrow Y of the key switch 76. Such motion serves to separate cont-acts Eand F and thereby exis then broken.

101 is of only low voltage.

tinguishes line and pilot lamps 56 and 71 as the circuit through relays58 and 60 A talking circuit is then formed when the clerk has removedreceiver 52 from its hook as follows; generator 56, positive main line,wire 57, wire 90, wire 91, relay coil 92, telephone set 93, wire 9st,contact G, contact F, wire 61, receiver 52, contacts 55 and 54,transmitter 51, and wire 62 and negative main line back to thegenerator. The clerk then reads off to the credit man the name of thecustomer and the amount of credit desired and if the credit man iswilling to authorize the credit, the throwing of a second key will serveto release the mechanism. It is, however, im-

portant that means should be provided whereby the credit man can knowwhether or not the register has been placed in position to enter acredit transaction therein and this means will now be described.

Referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen spring contacts 96 and 97 arenormally closed but are adapted to be separated by a pin 98 on the disk21 which engages and moves contact 96 when the lever 11 is set to creditposition. As shown in Fig. 4: the contacts 96 and 97 together with wire98 form a shunt around wire 99 and magnet 33 which as before statedserves to control armature 32 of the latching arm 30. It will be evidentthat the shunt including contacts 96 and 97 is of very low resistance ascompared with magnet 33 so that if contacts 96 and 97 are closed muchmore current will pass through the line than if they were open and thisdilference in resistance operates what may be termed a reminding device.The circuit including the said remindin device has instead of thegenerator 56 a low voltage battery 101 serving to furnish powertherefor. The circuit including the battery is as follows; from battery101, wire 102, relay coil 103, wire 104:, contact M, contact N, wire.105, contact C, contact I), wire 106, contacts 96, 97 and wire 98 orwire 99 and relay mag net 33, wire 62, negative main line and wire 107back to the battery 101. This circuit includes relay coil 103 and asstated battery If contacts 96 and 97 are closed the resistance of magnet33 is practically cut out of the circuit and enough current will thenflow to operate armature 107 of relay 103. This armature controls alocal circuit as shown including contacts 108, a lamp 109 and a battery110. If on the other hand setting lever 11 has been moved to creditposition contacts 96 and 97 will be thereby separated and the shuntbroken so that the resistance of magnet 33 is then in the, line and cutsdown the current from battery 101 so much that relay 103 will be unableto operate its armature 107 and lamp 109 will remain extinguished. Itwill be seen that this provides a simple and yet efiective method ofindicating to the credit man whether or notth'e register has beenadjusted for the credit transaction and that the said indication isbeyond the control of the clerk.

In many establishments it will be necessary to have more than one creditman and in such cases it is very desirable to provide an identificationdevice in the register which will serve to indicate which of the creditmen authorized each and every transaction. To accomplish this functionprinting devices are provided in the register, controlled by magnetswhose circuit runs from the register to the credit mans position andwhich are adapted to be closed so as to set the said printing devicesdifierentially by a series of keys located at the credit mans position.

In Fig. 2 is shown one of three magnets 121, 124C and 128 these magnetsare also shown in 3. Armatures 122 are provided for each of the magnets,the said armatures being part of and serving to move levers 123journaled on shaft 12 against the tension of springs 12 1. These levers123 are connected through pins 125 to arms mounted as best shown in Fig.3 on nested sleeves 127. On the other ends of the sleeves 127 are arms128 serving through pins 129 to set printing wheels 130. These printingwheels have each two type thereon one of which is normally near rintingposition while the other is adapted to be brought to printing positionwhen its magnet121, 124 or 128 is energized. With three printing disksas shown eight difierent combinations of records may be made as will beeasily seen. In the diagram however are only shown the two magnets 12 1and 128 and four keys for differentially controlling them but it will beclear that additional keys may be used.

It will be understood that it is only when .a credit transaction is tobe entered in the machine that a record is needed from wheels 130 as itis only this class of transaction which needs the authorization of thecredit man. It is therefore desirable to provide means for preventingthese printing wheels 130 from being moved to a position. where eithertype thereon is at the printing point exceptwhen the credit lever isset. This object is accomplished in the present case by normallypositioning said wheels 130 as shown in Fig. 2 with the type away fromthe printing point. It will be clear that normally no printing will takeplace during the usual operation of the machine. When, however, thetransaction lever is moved for a credit transaction a pin 21 on the disk21 (Figs. 2 and 3) abuts all three levers 123 and rocks them enough tobring the lower of the two type on wheels 130 to the printing point.Such movement of levers 123 brings the armatures 122 thereon nearertheir magnets ing the designation of the first credit man' while if themagnets are also energized the other credit mens designations will beprinted depending on the credit key depressed. In the diagram one of thecredit keys is shown as depressedand it will be seen that suchdepression serves to close contacts 115 and 116. For each of the othercredit keys a pair of contacts are provided which are also numbered 115and 116in as much asthey are all connected in parallel. For the secondcredit key there are additional contacts 117 and 118; for the thirdcredit key contacts 117 and 119 and for the fourth credit key contacts117, 118 and 119. When the second credit key is depressed theidentifying device will be set, the circuit being as follows; generator56 positive main line, wire 81, coil 82, contacts 83 and 84, wire 85,wire 86, wire 120, wire 121 contact 117, contact 118, wire 122 contactB, contact A, wire 123 magnet 12%, wire 125 wire 62, negative main lineback to the generator56. If the third credit key is pressed the circuitwill be the same to and including wire 121 from'thence it passes throughcontact 117, contact 119, wire 126, contact spring H, contact spring K,wire 127 magnet 128 wire 129 and wire 62 and negative main line back togenerator. key is pressed the circuit will be made as be- When thefourth creditv fore to and including contact 117 and from magnets areenergized and this clearly serves to produce one of four combinations atthe printing point of the disk 130 and thereby serves to indicate whichcredit key was de pressed. The credit man may now operate the releasekey, 1 10 in the direction of arrow Z. When this key is operated contactN is moved from contact M and made to touch contact 0 and a circuit isthereby made it being remembered that key 76 has been moved in thedirection of arrow Y; generator 56 positive main line, wire 81, coil 82,

eeaee? j contacts 83 and 84, wire 85, wire 86, wire 120, wire 121contacts 115, 116, wire 142, wire 143, contact 0, contact N, wire 105,contact C, contact D, wire 106, wire 99, magnet 33, and wire 62 andnegative main line back to the generator. This circuit will be observedto include contacts 115, and 116 controlled by the credit keys andreleasing magnet 33 for the register it therefore follows that be foremagnet 33 can release the machine lock the credit key must have beendepressed and such depression serves as before described todiiferentially operate the credit mans identifying device. When magnet33 is energized it attracts its armature 32, (Fig. 2) raising a lug 147thereon over a projection 148 of a pawl 149. This pawl 149 is pivoted ona pin 150 and is normally drawn by a spring 151 as shown but isprevented from movement until armature 32 has been raised by the lug147. When latching arm 30 moves by raising armature 32 the lug 147 ismoved above the projection 148 of pawl 149 and said pawl immediatelymoves under the lug to retain the arm 30 in its adjusted position. Itwill be noted that the arm 30 moves to carry its notch 40 away from pin28 of the locking arm 26 and-thereby to unlock the rotation shaft 21 ofthe register. It is true that the latching arm 26 is still engaging itsprojection 37 with the notch 38 of disk 39, but this contact is merelycaused 'by the weight of the part and the pressure of spring 35 so thatthe shaft 21 may be rotated without diflicult-y, and when so rotatedwill cam the arm 26 out of the position of Fig. 2. This shaft 21 isrotated in the direction of the arrow and near the endof its completerotation a pin 152 strikes the tail of pawl 149 and rocks the sameenough to withdraw projection 148 from under lug 147 of the latching arm30. This arm 30 then moves slightly under the influence of spring-35enough to depress lug 147 slightly below the projection 148 to theposition shown-in Fig. 2.

The reminding device including the lamp 109 should of course prevent thecredit man from attempting to release the register unless the same hadbeen set in a credit position. It may happen however through mistakethat the credit man would throwkey 140 to close contacts N and 0. If atsuch time the contacts 96, 97 close the shunt around release magnet 33the resistance of the whole circuit would be so slight inasmuch as coil82 is of very low resistance that damage to some part of the circuitwould probably happen. To avoid such danger as well as to giveanindieation to the credit man that key 140 should not have beendepressed a second coil 82 is used of relatively high resistance. Thecircuit through this c011 also passes through wire 82, a bell 82, a wire82 and then passes through wire 86, etc., just as does the circuitthrough coil 82.

It will be seen that coil 82 and bell 82 are in a permanently closedshunt of high resistance so thatpractically all the current will passthrough contacts 83 and 84 and not through coil 82 Under normalconditions that is when contacts 96 and 97 are separated the resistanceof magnet 33 is in the line and the current in the circuit willtherefore have so low an amperage as not to operate the armature 82 ofthe circuit breaker. If however the shunt including contacts 96 and 97is closed the circuit has a much lower resistance and enough currentwill then pass through coil 82 to operate the armature 82 Such operationwill evidently open contacts 83 and S4 and compel the whole current topass through the high resistance coil 82' thereby much diminishing thecurrent strength. In fact it is diminished to so low a value that noinjury to the circuit is possible. The separation of contacts 83 and 84will evidently pass all the current through the bell 82 and cause thesame to sound thereby furnishing an additional warning to the credit manthat the shunt around magnet 33 is closed. It is to be noted that ifcontacts 83 and 84 are separated compelling the whole current to passthrough coil 82 that not enough current will pass through the releasingmagnet 33 to operate the same so that the attempt of the credit man torelease the machine lock will fail when contacts 90 and 97 are closed.In such case the credit man will again call the clerk by the use of bell89 and cause the machine to be put in credit position.

To prevent the depression of more than one credit key at a time there isa well known type of interlocking device comprising a slide 190 havingdifferentially inclined slots. A spring 191 shown in dotted lines servesto return the slide 190 to its normal position. This is a well knowndevice and its operation will be obvious. Locks are employed forpositively locking any desired key either in raised or depressedposition. To perform this function each credit key is provided with alug 192 and a key operated lock 193 the bolt of which when ejected isadapted to be over the lug 192 ofthe key depressed or under the said lugwhen the key is elevated. The first of these positions is shown withregard to the first credit key whereas the other three keys are shown aslocked in their elevated position. lVhen the first credit man who isassumed to be on duty leaves his position he will operate his look 193withdrawing the bolt when his key will rise under the influence of itsspring. The credit man who takes his place can then operate his own lock193 depress his key and lock the same in depressed position. Suchdepression of his key will move the slide 190 thereby locking all theother keys in raised position.

The relay 92 which as before stated is in the talking circuit controls alocal circuit including a supervisory lamp 194. This lamp will beclearly illuminated only when key'TG has been thrown in the Y directionand receiver 52 of the clerks telephone removed from its hook. The lamp194 therefore serves to indicate to the credit man when the saidreceiver 52 is removed. The relay is well known in telephone practiceand no claim to the same is made.

As shown the power for operating the various circuitsof this device isdrawn from a direct current generator 56. Such a generator will supply acurrent uniform enough .to secure a reasonably satisfactory workingofthe system but a device is added consisting of inductances 201 and 202and condensers 203 and 204 for the purpose of securing better results inthe telephone. It is well known that the so called direct currentgenerator gives a uni-direction current of nearly a constant voltage butthere is a certain small change in the voltage due to the difierence ofrelation which the armature coils of the dynamo sustain to the fieldmagnets thereof as rotation is produced. In other words the currentdrawn from such-a generator may be considered as composed of twocurrents one having a constant value and the other superposed thereonand being a pulsating current always the same direction but varying'from zero to a small maximum of voltage'. It is evident that thissuperposed current will cause variations in the magnetism of thetelephone receiver coils-thereby tending to produce undesirable noises.The inductances and condensers referred to are designed to obviate thisdifiiculty. As is well known an inductance offers to a constant currentan obstruction dependent only on its ohmic resistance but to a varyingcurrentand especially to a rapidly varying current it offers impedancein comparison to which its ohmic resistance is almost negligible. Acondenser on the other hand is practically opaque to a constantcurrentbut offers only a small impedance to a rapidly varying current. It willbe noted inductances 201 and 202 are in series with the line whereas thecondensers 203 and 20 1 are bridged in the line. As used'in this systemthe inductances tend to prevent the passage of the superposedcurrentbefore referred to and the same is allowed an electrically easy paththrough the condensers back to the other side of the generator. Itfollows that the current traversing the main line has a practicallyconstant value as if derived from a storage battery. The condenser 211is shown as bridged across the contacts N and O of the releasing circuitbut this is merely for the purpose of absorbing any break spark and isusual practice.

To indicate to the clerk when the register is released after havingbeen'set to a charge transaction and thereby locked, the latching arm 30is provided with a spring arm 301 which, when magnet 33 is energized andits armature 32 raised, closes contacts 302 and 303 in a local circuitincluding a lamp 301 and a battery 305. ;It will be clear that the localcircuit will be completed and lamp 230i illuminated only when themachine is released and as the latching arm 30 remains in releasingposition until the machine is operated, the local circuit will continueto light lamp 304: until an operation of the machine.

l/Vhile the form of mechanism here shown and described is admirablyadapted to fulfil the objects primarily stated, it is to beunderstoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form ofembodifrom a distance.

2. A store service-systemincluding a cash register having a movableelement for determining the class of entry to be made and an operatingmechanism, in combination with a device under. control of said element.for locking said operating mechanism, means for releasing said lockingdevice from a distance and a device for warning the distant operatorwhen. the movable element has not been properly adjusted.

A store service system comprising a cash register having a transactiondetermining element, and an operating mechanism in combination with adevice operable when said element has a particular adjustment to locksaid operating mechanism, and means operable from a distance forreleasing said lock and maintaining same released until said mechanismcompletes its operation.

i. A store service system comprising a cash register having means forlocking same under predetermined conditions independent of the operationof the cash register, means for releasing said locking means from adistance, and an operator identifying means at the cash register-setwith the release of said locking means. 7 r

5, A store service system comprising a cash register having means forcontrollin the characteristics of transactions entered in the machine,means for locking the machine when a particular transaction is to beentered, means operated electrically from a i l a distance for releasingsaid locking means and an operator identifying means at the cashregisterset when the machine is released.

6. A store service system, comprising a cash register having atransaction element and means for locking the cash register when saidelement is given a predetermined adjustment, means at a distance fordisabling said locking means and an identifying device in the cashregister adjusted when said locking means is disabled.

7. A store service system comprising a cash register having atransaction element and means for locking the machine when said elementis adjusted for a particular class of transactions, means forelectrically releasing said locking means from a distance and operatoridentifying devices at the cash register set automatically by the lockreleasing means.

8. A store service system including a cash register having a movableelement, an operating mechanism and means for rendering said mechanisminoperative controlled by said element, means operable from a distancefor causing said mechanism to be again operative, and operatoridentifying devices at the cash register set by the operation of saiddistant means.

i). A store service system, including a cash register having atransaction element, means for locking said cash-register when saidtransaction element is given a predetermined adjustment. and identifyingdevices, in com-.

bination with means at a distance for setting said identifying devicesand unlocking said locking means.

10. A store service system comprising a cash register having atransaction element, means controlled thereby to lock the machine, andidentifying devices, in combination with distant devices fordifferentially setting said identifying devices and releasing saidlocking means.

11. A store service system comprising a cash register having atransaction element, means fort locking the cash register when saidelement is given a predetermined'adjustment,and identifying devices, incombination with means at a distance for electrically difierentiallyadjusting said identifying means, and releasing said locking ll'letlnS.

12. A store service system comprising a cash register having means forretaining an entry of transactions therein, in combination withmechanism for rendering said register inoperative when said means isadjusted for a particular class of transactions, devices for releasingthe mechanism which renders the machine inoperative and operatoridentifying means set differentially when said mechanism is released.

13. A store service system comprising a cash register having an elementfor con trolling the entries in the register in combination with meansfor locking said regis- 'ter when the element is adjusted for a certainclass of transactions, operator identifying keys, identifying meansadjusted in ac cordance therewith, and means for releasing said registerlocking means only when one of said keys has been adjusted and theoperator identified.

14:. A store service system comprising a cash register having an elementfor controlling the entries in the register, and means for locking themachine when the element is adjusted for a certain class oftransactions, a circuit controlling said locking means, operatoridentifying means in the register, and circuit controlling devicesserving to set said identifying means and close said circuit to releasethe locking means.

15. A store service system including a cash register having means forrendering same inoperative, in combination with means for rendering thesame operative from a distance, and an indicator at the cash registerfor showing that the machine has been rendered operative.

16. A store service system comprising a cash register having means forrendering same inoperative in combination with means operable from adistance for rendering same operative, and a signal at the cash registerbrought into operation when said latter means is operated.

17 A cash register having identifying devices in combination with aseries of keys, and means'controlled by said keys for setting one ormore of said devices depending on the key depressed.

18. A cash register having identifying devices, a series of keys andelectrically operated devices controlled by'said keys for adjusting oneor more of said identifying devices when a key is depressed.

19. A cash register having identifying devices, a series of separatelyd-epressible keys, and means controlled by a depressed key for adjustingone or more of said identifying devices.

20. A store service system including a cash register having identifyingdevices and means for locking said machine, and a distant device forsetting said identifying devices and preparing for the release of saidlocking means.

21. in a cash register, the combination with printing deviceshaving eacha plurality of type, an entry determining element for adjusting saiddevices to a constant position, and magnets for then adjusting saiddevices difierentially.

22. In a cash register, the combination with magnets, and means forenergizing same, type carrier controllers normally beyond the sphere ofmagnetic attraction,

and an entry determining element for bringing all of said controllerswithin said sphere.

23. In a cash register, the combination with electromagnets, ofidentifying device controllers normally beyond the sphere of magneticattraction, an entry determining element for bringing all of saidcontrollers within said sphere, and manipulative devices fordifferentially energizing said magnets.

24. A store service system comprising a cash register having means forlocking same, and an entry determining element for operating saidlocking means in combination with .means for releasing said lockingmeans, and a signal brought into operation if attempt is made to operatesaid locking device when the said element has not been adjusted.

'25. A store service system comprising a cash register having an entrydetermining element and means cont-rolled thereby for locking themachine, in combination with means for releasing said locking means, asignal for warning that the said element has not been setand adistinguished signal brought into action when the warning signal isunheeded and attempt is made to operate said releasing means. 7

26. A store service system, comprising a cash register having atransaction element and means for locking the cashregist'er independentof its operation when said element is given a predetermined adjustment,means beyond the control of the operator and under control of a secondperson for disabling said locking means, and an identifying device inthe cash register adjusted when said locking means is disabled forestablishing the identity of the person effecting such disablingoperation.

27. A store service system comprising a cash register having adjustablemeans for locking same when said means is in a certain predeterminedadjusted position independent of the operation of the cash register,means beyond the control of the operator thereof for releasing saidlocking means, and an identifying means at the cash register set withthe release of said locking means.

28. A store service system comprising a register including a transactiondesignating element, and means for locking said register controlled bysaid transact-ion element, of an electromagnet controlling an element ofsaid locking means, with connections for energizing said magnet, anddevices actuated by the register for holding sald locklng means elementin releasing position.

29. A store service system comprislng a register including a transactiondesignating element, and means for locking said register controlled bysaid transaction element, with an electromagnet and connections forreleasing an element of said locking means, and a latch actuated fromthe register for holding said locking means element in releasedposition.

30. A store service system comprising a register including a transactiondesignating element, and means for locking said register when saidtransaction element is given a determined position, of an independentlyoperated device for releasing an element of said locking means, a latchfor holding said locking means element in releasing position, andconnections from a movable part of said register for tripping saidlatch.

31. A store service system comprising a register with manuallycontrolled means for distant manipulative devices, connections wherebyoperation of anyone of said manipulative devices may cause release ofsaid locking means, and identifying devices, automatically set byoperation of any of said manipulative devices, for designating in theregister which one of said manipulative devices was cmployed to releasesaid locking means 32. A store service system comprising a register withmanually controlled means for locking the same, of a plurality ofmanipulative devices with connections whereby operation of any one ofsaid manipulative devices may cause release of said locking means. aplurality of magnets in said register with connections for separatelyenergizing them by actuation of said manipulati-ve devices, andidentifying type carriers positioned under control of said magnets.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES F. KETTERING. Witnesses:

Roy 0. GLASS, CARL W. BEUS'I.

locking it against operation, .a plurality of-

